Bartholomew Park Winery

1000 Vineyard Ln, Sonoma, CA 95476

Website: www.bartpark.com

Bartholomew Park Winery is tucked away on a side road only a couple of miles from Sonoma Plaza. Visitors would not easily stumble upon this winery without looking for it. Yet, this is one of the most historic wineries in Sonoma Valley and worth seeking out. The grounds upon which the winery sits today were part of the original Buena Vista property purchased by Hungarian nobleman Agoston Haraszthy in 1857. Haraszthy has been credited with the birth of the California wine industry. He was forced from the property in 1867 for financial reasons, and then the winery changed hands several times before Frank and Antonia Bartholomew purchased the property in the 1940’s. They resumed grape growing and restored the Buena Vista label. After 20 years of winemaking, the Bartholomews decided to sell off 20-acres of the property and the brand name, keeping more than 400 acres and the estate vineyards for themselves. Upon their death, a foundation was set up to maintain the relation between the property, winery, and vineyard.

Fast forward to 1994, the Bundschu Family opened Bartholomew Park Winery. They fully restored the historic winery building and gardens. All 37 acres of the estate vineyard were completely replanted. The Bundschu Family managed the property for 20 years until March 2018 when the winery shifted to new management set to reopen in spring 2019.  The new management updated the name to Bartholomew Estate Winery and changed the label, but they are still dedicated to maintaining the history of the land.

A portion of the winery houses the Bartholomew Park Museum with many artifacts from the property’s history. The museum is located right off the tasting room and is open to the public for free. The winery sits at the heart of the 400 acre Bartholomew Memorial Park. The grounds of the winery are absolutely stunning and contain picnic grounds, hiking trails, and a replica of Agoston Haraszthy’s Palladian Villa.

I visited the winery before it changed hands in 2018.  The staff in the tasting room was very gracious.   There were only a few of us in the tasting room when my husband and I arrived, and the staff was more than willing to tell us about the property. The winery produces Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. My personal favorites were the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. There were some winery souvenirs available for purchase inside the tasting room. At the opposite side of the room from the tasting bar is the entrance to the museum. The winery offers a one hour tour of the estate with prior reservation. Check their website for dates and times.  My only regret about my visit to this winery is that I wish I had spent more time exploring the outdoor grounds.

Entrance to Bartholomew Park Winery